Friday, August 22, 2008

Patriotic Pulao

Patriotic Pulao

Ingredients:


1. Basmati/Biryani Rice - 3 cups

2. Grated Carrot - 1
3. Chopped Spinach(palak) - a small bunch
4. Chopped Onions - 2
5. Green Chillies - 2
6. Ginger - Garlic paste - 1 tbsp.
7. Asafoetida/hing powder - 1/2 tsp.
8. Cumin Seeds/Jeera - 2 tsp.
9. Red Chilli Powder - 2 tsp.
10. Corriander powder - 1 tbsp.
11. Saunf/Aniseeds - 1 tsp.
12. Cinnamon - 1 inch piece
13. Salt - according to taste
14. Ghee/Clarified Butter - to cook

Method:

1. Heat ghee in a kadhai(vessel) and add 1/4th tsp.hing powder, 1tsp. jeera, 1/tsp. saunf and 1/2 the cinnamon stick.
2. Then make a paste of ginger and green chillies and add half of it to the vessel.

3. Add half the chopped onions and fry till golden brown.
4. Add salt, red chilli powder and corriander powder.
5. Then divide the rice into 3 parts and add one part to the vessel, along with the grated carrots.
6. Add water(double the quantity of rice), cover the vessel with a lid and wait till the rice is cooked.
7. Keep stirring it in between so that it doesn't stick to the pan. Adjust the water accordingly.
8. When it is cooked, remove from pan and allow to cool.
9. Then, again add 1/4th tsp. hing powder
, 1tsp. jeera, 1/tsp. saunf and the remaining 1/2 of the cinnamon stick.
10. Let them splutter in oil. Then add the remaining half of the ginger-chilli paste.
11. Add the chopped onions and fry till golden brown.
12. Add
salt, red chilli powder and corriander powder.(The whole process is repeated.)
13. Then add the chopped and washed spinach and cook for some time.
14. Add the 2nd part of the rice and water(double the qty. of rice).
15.
Cover the vessel with a lid and wait till the rice is cooked.
16. When the rice is cooked, remove from pan and keep in a separate vessel/plate.

17. Then cook the remaining rice.
18. To arrange it, first spread the spinach rice on a plate, add the plain rice over it and finally top it up with the carrot rice.

Variation: You may add saffron/kesar soaked in warm milk to the carrot rice, and corriander leaves to the palak rice, and dryfruits to enhance the colour and taste, respectively, of the pulao.

Due to some technical problem, I couldn't post this month's recipes in the first week. Anyway, better late than never:-) HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!!

Veg. Semolina Cake

Veg. Semolina Cake

Ingredients:
1. Semolina/Rava - 1 1/4 cups
2. Yoghurt - 1.5 cups(you may increase according to the consistency)
3. Grated carrot - 1 small

4. Beans - a few
5. Green Peas - 1/2 cup
6. Ginger - 1/2 inch piece
7. Asafoetida/hing powder - 1/4 tsp.
8. Cumin Seeds/Jeera - 1 tsp.
9. Mustard Seeds/Rai - 1 tsp.
10. Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp.
11. Sesame seeds/White til - 3-4 tsp.
12. Baking Powder - 1/4 tsp.
12. Chopped Corriander leaves - a few
13. Salt - according to taste

Method:

1. Heat oil in a kadhai(vessel) and add hing powder, jeera, mustard seeds, ginger paste, green chilli paste and fry for 2 mins.
1. In a bowl, mix the semolina and yoghurt.
2. Add chopped beans, grated carrot and green peas(frozen peas will also do).
3. Grate the ginger piece and add to the mixture. Mix well.
4. Heat oil in a small pan and add the tadka - hing powder, jeera, rai and 1tsp. sesame seeds. Let them splutter(tempering). Take care that they do not burn.
5. Add this to the semolina mixture along with red chilli powder, baking powder, corriander leaves and salt.
6. Mix well. The batter should be of a semi-solid consistency. Pour the batter in a baking dish and keep it in the oven. I kept it in the OTG(Oven Toaster Grill) for 20 min. at 180 degree Celcius. I guess, in the normal oven, it can be kept for around 35-40 min.
7. When the cake is cooked, insert a toothpick into it. The toothpick should come out clean.
8. Cut into pieces and either have it as it is, or with chilli sauce or mint chutney.

This is a modified version of the famous Gujarati Dhokla. The cake is slightly sour, still if you want to increase the sourness, you may add the juice of half a lemon, but I don't think that would be necessary:-)

Golpapdi/Sukhdi

Golpapdi/Sukhdi

Ingredients:


1. Whole wheat flour/Atta - 1 cups
2. Grated Jaggery/Gud - 1/2 cup

3. Ghee/Clarified Butter - 1/2 cup
4. Poppy Seeds/Khus Khus - 1 tsp.
5. Saunf/Aniseeds/Fennel Seeds - 1 tsp.

6. Milk - 3 tbsp.
6. Cardamom/Elaichi powder
- 1/4 tsp.
8. Cashewnuts - 8-10


Method:


1.
Heat ghee in a pan and add saunf to it.
2. Then add wheat and fry till the wheat turns golden brown. Take care that it doesn't stick to the pan.
3. Add the poppy seeds and cook for around 1 more minute.
4. Turn off the flame and let it cool slightly. Then add the grated jaggery and mix well.
5. If you feel that the jaggery hasn't blended well into the mixture, heat the mixture again till the jaggery completely dissolves in the mixture.
6. Then add cashewnuts(fried in ghee or plain) and mix well.
7. Remove from flame.
8. Add milk to sweet more soft.
9. Transfer it to a bowl and serve hot.

This is a Gujarati sweet dish.
You may also find sukhdi in the form of squares and diamonds. The traditional way is to serve it warm in a bowl. Hope you like it:-) Do leave in ur comments!!!
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THE ICE BOWL

Thought of sharing this photo with all of u. Though it looks like a glass bowl, this is actually ICE, which was not shaped in the form of a bowl deliberately:-) The vessel contained water and it was kept in the freezer, and when my mother touched the middle portion of the ice, it cracked and the ice from the top fell inside and this made it look like a bowl.